DENVER — Marian Gaborik injured his groin in practice Saturday and will miss Sunday's game against the Colorado Avalanche at Pepsi Center.

General manager Doug Risebrough said he made the decision to sit Gaborik as a precaution. The right wing is officially listed as day to day, which is how his 34-day layoff last season started.

"I'm definitely not going to miss 40 games again," Gaborik said.

Risebrough said Gaborik will see the team doctor when the team returns to the Twin Cities on Monday. He has not played a full season since going a career-high 81 games in 2002-03, limited to 65, 65 and 48 games because of upper leg injuries.

"He felt the last two games were really taxing. He's not comfortable with his legs right now," Risebrough said of Gaborik. "He tried this morning and he came off, and I talked to him and I made the decision, because I don't want it to progress to the point where he's missing lots of games."

Gaborik has played in all 10 of the Wild's games this season, scoring one goal among eight points.

Asked if he thinks the injury is similar to the groin injury that sent him to two specialists over two months of rehabilitation last season, Gaborik said, "Oh, no. It's not that."

That wasn't the only bad news the Wild absorbed at practice Saturday. No. 1 goaltender Niklas Backstrom also left practice early because of a groin injury and will not play against Colorado. He missed missed one game last season because of a groin